The Inquiry
by Triumph0828
Summary: What happens if a Cherub agent kills? CJ is about to find out. His friends and established agents will help him through it. This will get dark.
1. Chapter 1

The Pool.

CJ pulled himself out of the pool and sat on the edge with his feet in the water. He panted heavily, the last two lengths he had swum were torture. Instead of swimming as he should have, he basically punched and kicked the water as if he was fighting it in the dojo. He glanced up at the clock and was surprised to see it was just past seven in the morning. He had been swimming for over a hour.

As he ran his hand over his face to wipe the water off, he was surprised to feel himself tearing up. An uncontrolled sob followed, followed by another before the tears began to flow.

The bang of the changing room door snapped CJ out of his sorry state. He didn't think that anyone else used the pool this early on campus and was determined that whoever it was would not see him crying, well not today anyway. He quickly wiped his face again and tried to control his breathing.

He heard the other person's footsteps approaching and he closed his eyes, not wanting to make eye contact or drawn into a conversation.

"So this is where you come to think? Bruce Norris goes to the dojo, I go running and you swim lengths."

CJ opened his eyes in surprise as James Adams sat next to him.

"What do you want?" CJ snapped at him, nastier than he had intended "Are you going for a swim?"

"Not really." James looked out at the pool then back at the younger agent "Never really liked the water, I swim cause I have to."

CJ didn't respond so James tried a different approach. "They say you are like a fish, that you can do length after length after length without getting tired. It is a shame they don't do swimming galas on campus. I am pretty sure you would walk away with a trophy."

CJ smirked "They do swimming galas and I have won several trophies."

"Oh."

"I also hold the campus record for the hundred metre, two hundred and four hundred front crawl and butterfly."

"Oh, right...I guess I am not really into swimming so I never noticed."

"Then why are you talking to me?"

"I know what is going to start at nine this morning. Your inquiry." James said seriously.

CJ felt a shiver run down his spine and he snapped his head round to look at James, his eyes red from the chlorine and crying were full of anger. "Why do you care?"

"I care" James began with all the patience he could muster "because I face one myself when I shot and killed someone on a mission. I don't know the specifics of your case, but I thought you may want to talk to someone who has been there, done that and got the t-shirt."

CJ relaxed slightly "I guess so" he sighed "Though I am not looking forward to it."

"Bruce Norris would have been here as well to talk to you about the one he faced when he put three people in a coma on a mission in Norway, but he is currently on a mission somewhere in France."

"What happened to those three?"

"Two woke up, apparently the third never will. He is still an active agent"

"Oh"

"I was thirteen when I fired that shot" James looked at the younger agent "I'm guessing your fourteen..."

"I'm thirteen and a quarter." CJ snapped back suddenly angry again.

James looked the younger boy over again, dressed only in swimwear James could see the outline of nearly ever muscle on his body. He didn't know many other sixteen year olds let along thirteen year olds who had CJ's definition. He didn't have the body of a body builder, an athlete instead.

"I am sorry James." CJ turned his head away and gazed back at the water "I didn't mean to snap, I am just fed up with people not knowing how old I am. Also people keep asking me if I am all right. I guess that is what you are doing as well."

James nodded "I am, when you kill someone it takes a toll on you and you have to be strong to over come it, but eventually you do. The inquiry will find you conduct reasonable if you followed your training and you will carry on. Remember the person you killed was a bad man and would have probably hurt more people and even killed someone if not so already. You killed once, saved many."

"Two." CJ almost whispered.

"What? Didn't hear you?" James said.

"I killed two people and they weren't adults. They were my age. They were my mission targets."

"You did what?"

"I KILLED TWO OTHER KIDS!" CJ screamed at James and buried his face on James' chest sobbing his eyes out.


	2. Chapter 2

The Beginning.

After being helped by James to compose himself, CJ had made it back to his room just after seven forty five. He showered, making sure to clean every part of his body spotless. This included finger nails, toe nails, ears, nostrils. Luckily being a keen swimmer meant he sported a number 0.5 hair cut so he didn't have to sort his hair.

He had spent most of the previous night ironing his uniform and polishing his boots to a shine and despite himself, smiled after he dressed and checked himself out in the mirror. He wasn't hungry so made himself a mug of coffee and so not to crush his clothes stood stock still as he drank it. With a glance at his watch and a feeling of dread in his stomach he left his room. As he passed into the corridor he glanced back, this may be the last time he left his room as an agent. He let his door click close and made his way to the lift.

"CJ...wait.." His next door neighbour came running up behind him.

"Hello Amy" CJ smiled at her "Come to see off the condemned?"

"Don't say things like that, you will be fine, remember James Adams has face one of these before and he is still an active agent."

"Did you ask him to find me this morning?" CJ asked as they both stepped into the lift.

"Yes, you have been moping about on campus since you got back. I want the good old fun loving CJ back, not boring old Christian Jackson."

"You are using my real name as a nickname?"

Amy pretended to think and put her finger on her lips "Hmm how about CB? Christian BORING?"

"Yeah? How about Amy um? Amy err?"

"My what a come back"

By the time the lift doors had opened both agents were laughing as they stepped out.

CJ looked towards the Chairwoman's office " Well I guess I had better go and wait."

"Are you crazy? Its half past eight...come get something to eat."

"Not hungry" CJ mumbled.

"Fine, but you will be later"

"Maybe, but right now, food is far from my mind"

Amy kissed CJ on the check. "You will be fine. It is a shame...really we should be boyfriend and girlfriend"

"Sorry your not my type" CJ replied back with a sad smile.

"I know, one day you will make another boy really happy." She kissed him again and turned to the canteen. CJ watched the only other agent on campus who knew he was gay for a few seconds before walking towards the seats outside the chairwoman's office.

Zara already had CJ's file open on her desk when her phone buzzed from reception.

"He's already sitting outside."

"Thank you, I guess we had better start."

Zara crossed her office and opened the door, she got a strong smell of lynx up her nose as she turned to CJ who was sitting a straight backed as he could. His navy shirt without a crease.

"Come on CJ, lets go up to the conference room, the committee have already arrived. If you are ready?"

CJ took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I am ready" he said as he stood.

"You're shaking." Zara softly observed.

CJ held his hands out in front of him and watched his hands shake. He shook them violently and dropped them to his sides.

"Do you have any questions you want to ask before we get there?" Zara asked as she let him up the flight of stairs to the main conference room.

"No...wait yes...who in there will be on my side?"

Zara smiled "We are all on your side, just remember to answer any questions truthfully. Lies make it look like you are covering something up. If you can't remember something, say you can't remember. Don't make something up."

CJ nodded "Okay, but I meant if the committee are investigating, who is on my side if they want to go too deep or ask something I don't want or have to answer?"

"You should always answer if asked in these situations, however I will also be in there with you, along with Harry Simms and another agent unrelated to the case to look after your well being only."

"Who?"

"James Adams."

CJ looked shocked "But I have only spoken to him a few times..why him?"

"He's been through this before...ah here we are."

Zara and CJ entered the conference room. The tables had been arrange in a U shape with another table at one end. CJ shook hands with Harry Simms his mission controller on the mission and with James. At that point a woman spoke up.

"As we are all here, shall we start?"

Zara gestured CJ to the separate table, he saw his name on a nameplate and sat down. Zara sat to his left, James Adams to his right and Harry Simms to James' right. CJ was annoyed his name plate read "Christian Jackson" and not "CJ" but decided it would not be a good idea to make a scene over it.

The rest of the committee took their places and the who CJ assumed was the chairwoman banged a gabble on the table.

"This inquiry is now in session, to uncover the events, to learn any improvements and to take any actions regarding incident that occurred exactly 3 weeks ago today in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, where Cherub agent Christian "CJ" Jackson threw two thirteen year old males off the top of a fifteen story apartment block to their deaths. As you know CJ" the chairwoman look him straight in the eye and smiled "will not be held criminally liable for the deaths but his actions need to be accounted for and explained."

"You threw them off a building?" James whispered to CJ.

"Not exactly, that is not really what happened."

"What did?"

Zara shushed them.

"…..and you claim the deaths were the result of self defence." The chairwoman concluded.

CJ involuntary nodded.

"So lets start at the very beginning. How were you selected for this mission?"


End file.
